Smoke Rises on the North Side

Meat and sauces are the stars at Stone Oak’s modern BBQ joint, Smoke The Restaurant

By Julia Celeste

Photos By John Davidson

Unlike many classic Texas barbecue spots, Stone Oak’s Smoke The Restaurant is an ideal setting for those who don’t want to smell like smoke after a meal. The huge patio is a tonic during San Antonio’s fine outdoor weather, and the interior dining rooms are bright and airy.

The open kitchen is so well ventilated that very few aromas waft outwards. The wood-fired oven provides the atavistic view of flames we crave, while the big, smoke-chugger is in the back kitchen.

But it’s not just the ambiance that sets Smoke apart from Texas comfort food’s gritty roots. I won’t go as far as to call it hipster, but the menu does push the trendy envelope. Executive Chef Brian West—whose bio includes stints at several San Antonio restaurants and hotels, plus a period as restaurateur with his own stylish eatery, Café Paladar, and as teacher to future chefs at the Culinary Institute of America–San Antonio—injects whimsy into Smoke’s offerings. The single-sheet menu is made to look like it’s been well used, with faux meat juice stains (or is that tea?). The names of the dishes add some fun too, from Sexy BBQ Meatloaf to Philthy Little Sliders.

Smoke’s pickles are a treat, so don’t pass up ordering several varieties for the table. The Classic Dills shine beside smoked meats, the Bread & Butters avoid cloying sweetness and the Crazy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes offer a nice pop of acid and color. There are other choices, too, from spicy pickled veggies to sweet Whiskey-Spiced Peaches and Candied Beets.

Chef West takes sauces seriously, and it shows. Your server will offer you a six-pack of squeeze-bottles, filled with everything from mustard-laced sauce to garlic-infused to vinegary to fiery. Sometimes, though, the sauces are infused straight into the dishes. Crisp yet smooth Acadian Dusted Fried Chicken Livers are tossed with Jalapeño Orange Marmalade, balancing sweetness and heat for the morsels. You’ll also find the marmalade liberally spooned over the entrée of Smoked-Water Trout, one of the best dishes on the table. Green slices of candied jalapeño add to the visual appeal of both dishes.

Fatty, sticky, messy smoked pig tails come heavily coated with a guava glaze. They’re great with beer (Smoke has several Texas brews) and certainly get you in touch with snout-to-tail dining. They look odd, but the glaze gives them an addictive quality.

Some of the dishes that don’t call for a sauce can fall flat. In the case of the deviled eggs topped with shredded brisket salad, there was simply too much promise in the title and too little delivery for me. The flavor bump the meat should offer didn’t crack the ceiling of standard deviled eggs. Instead, try the Mexican corn on the cob, which offers just the right amount of crunch.

When I hear “loaded,” I think baked potato, and since the low-carb craze has gelled, cauliflower has become a stand-in for potatoes in mashers. So I expected Smoke’s Loaded Cauliflower to have sour cream, cheese and bacon piled on some form of cooked cauliflower. Instead, it’s a pool of cooked vegetables topped sparsely with bacon bits, chives and cooked tomatoes—not the punch I expected. The Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes are a better bet.

A barbecue restaurant owner once told me that anyone who barbecues at home will criticize everyone else’s barbecue. If you’re that person, there’s still something here for you on your nights off. Create your own platter from meats, sold by weight or by the number of ribs, and dig in. The chunky Pork Pull has a gently sweet glaze, as do the Dr Pepper Pork Ribs. The Shiner Bock Beer Brined Turkey is moist, while the beef short rib has a strong bark and tender bite. There’s a well-grilled snap to both the house-made beef sausage and the Spoiled Little Bratwurst.

Smoke’s feast meals are fun food celebrations, too. Four people can get meat and four unlimited sides for about $30 per person. And if you’re true party people, go for the Hog Head Feast. The chef brings a whole smoked hog’s head to the table for momentary shock and awe, then returns it to you carved and ready to eat. You’ll get the crispy ears, braised tongue, some cheek meat, plus sausages and house-cured maple bacon. The presentation is memorable enough that you’ll feel like you’re living a scene in a movie.

Happy hour starts at 4:20 (get it?) with discounted snacks and drinks. There’s also a reverse happy hour from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. The current cocktail menu is top shelf, with reasonably priced, creative drinks. There are some changes in the works for the bar, but I’m confident it’s going to be for the better. After all, tweaking a new menu is what keeps a restaurant strong, vibrant and relevant.

Fact File

1. The Bread Basket is a work of art that rounds out the meal. The ample supply of fried jalapeño cornbread, white bread (of course!), a lard biscuit, Hawaiian rolls and pretzels—all baked in house—is made better only with a schmear of apple butter or jalapeño jam.

2. Both the Cream Corn (on the sides menu) and the Mexican Corn on the Cob (on the snacks menu) are a satisfying way to add crunch to the tender meat.

3. Funky Frito Squires (yes, it was originally a typo they let stand) are Smoke’s version of Rice Krispies Treats, but nothing like them. Salty, sweet, gooey, chocolaty with hints of peanut butter, they end the meal on a high note.